Karnataka likely to experience above normal rainfall during pre-monsoon season
Bengaluru, Feb 20 (PTI): Karnataka is expected to witness above normal rainfall during the pre-monsoon season, with significant rainfall in April and May, officials said on Thursday.
This February, temperatures were 2.5 degree celsius higher than usual, but the pre-monsoon season is expected to bring above-average rainfall, they added.
A cabinet sub-committee meeting, chaired by Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, was held on Thursday to discuss the 2025 Rabi and Monsoon seasons, agriculture, drinking water supply, weather conditions, and reservoir water levels.
Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge, and Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy attended the meeting.
Officials briefed the ministers, stating, "Above-normal rainfall is expected during the pre-monsoon season, with good rainfall in April and May. There is also a likelihood of increased rainfall in the last week of February and March. However, rainfall during the Rabi season has been below average, and precipitation from October to December is expected to decline."
Officials reported that February has already recorded higher-than-normal temperatures, with a 2.5 degree celsius increase over the average.
However, a temperature drop is expected in the last week of the month.
Following this, the Revenue Minister instructed officials to ensure there is no drinking water shortage across the state and to take necessary precautions.
The cabinet sub-committee also reviewed the current water storage in major reservoirs.
"Karnataka’s 14 key reservoirs currently hold 535.21 TMC of water, around 60 per cent of the average storage. Last year, at the same time, the storage was 332.52 TMC," a statement from the Revenue Minister's office said.
Expressing concern over lower water levels in some reservoirs, Gowda emphasised the need to carefully manage available water, considering irrigation requirements and future drinking water needs.
The Water Resources department has been directed to provide a clear report on expected reservoir levels in the coming months and to ensure that drinking water needs are prioritised before releasing water for irrigation.
"Due to long-term water scarcity and water quality issues, drinking water is being supplied via tankers and borewells to 66 villages across 13 taluks in five districts—Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Bengaluru Urban, and Ramanagara," the statement said.
"Similarly, tankers and borewells are supplying drinking water to 56 wards in urban local bodies across Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Urban, and Kolar districts. The meeting also discussed identifying additional villages that may face water shortages in the near future," it added.
The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department has been instructed to make comprehensive preparations by reviewing past measures and considering additional steps to address drinking water issues.
A detailed report will be presented at the next Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting, officials stated.
The Revenue Minister also informed that Rs 488.30 crore is currently available in the PD accounts (Disaster Relief Fund) of all Deputy Commissioners and Tahsildars, ensuring that financial constraints will not hinder relief measures, they added.
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
